The Bond Between Brothers
by tie-dye-flag
Summary: When little prince Marcassin needs a glass of water in the middle of the night, he ventures out into the dark, dimly lit halls of the porcine palace. However, when something unfamiliar and scary hinders with his quest for water, he seeks help from his gruff older brother, Prince Gascon.


**AN: Hey, everybody! I noticed there weren't many fics dedicated to our lovely porcine princes when they were little, so here, have a little 'brother' story! :)**

* * *

CRASH!

"Oh no!"

In the dimly lit bathroom, a pile of shattered glass sat at the feet of a young boy with black hair. He was clad in teal, well-tailored pajamas and had sweet green eyes. His name was Prince Marcassin, and he had gotten up in the middle of the night for a glass of water, but his delicate hands had failed him and dropped his glass. The boy knelt down to the tile, reached out his hand, and touched the jagged shards.

"Ow!" He quickly with drew his small hand and checked it. Well, at least he wasn't cut...

With concerned eyes he gazed over the gold-plated sink and marble counter. By the handles sat a bar of lavender soap in a porcelain dish and hanging on a nearby wall was a fancy green towel-but no extra glass cups.

He shifted his gaze over the rest of the bathroom. Next to the sink and under his feet was a sturdy stool for the boy to step on to reach the sink and see his reflection in the polished mirror. Below were a couple of cupboards with shiny handles. The child opened all of them in search of another cup, but all he found were spare towels and toiletries.

He sighed softly and closed the doors in defeat. The boy didn't bother with the high class toilet or regal claw-foot bathtub and walked out of his private bathroom and into his bedroom. Marcassin dragged his feet over the thick blue carpet that spread over the hard metal floor of the porcine palace. He stretched his neck back, staring at the tall ceiling as if it would give him advice on what to do to quench his thirst.

"If I had my scepter, I could just cast a spell to fix the glass…" The young sage looked at the ground, whispering. "But I don't…"

Suddenly he caught the shape of his royal slippers out of the corner of his innocent eyes. He blinked, and was sparked by an idea.

Carefully walking to the other side of the room, he made his way to the shoes, slipped them over his feet, and went towards the bedroom door.

He cracked it open warily before quietly stepping out, silently closing the door behind him. This was the first time he saw the halls of his home in the night, and it was a very different sight than the day time. The only lights were coming from a few weak night lamps, still leaving the place in near darkness.

"…H-hello? Anyone?" he croaked out. The steampunk halls didn't answer him, instead replying with the faint echo of his voice on the metallic walls.

The prince gulped and thought, "_Calm down, Marcassin. This is your own home-there aren't any monsters here. Just go to the palace kitchen and find another glass…"_

Taking a deep breath, he walked down the dark halls. The normally bright chandeliers on the ceiling no longer gave out their soft orange glow, transforming the palace into an eerie display of shadows.

Marcassin continued to roam through the halls in the direction of the palace kitchen. His only company was the _pat- pat_ of his slippers against the polished floor. Even though he was walking through his own home, he still eyed his surroundings warily.

He came to a corner. Before he could take another step, a strange sound reached his ears. For a second he froze, holding his breath. Hesitatingly he peeked around the bend, hoping to catch a glimpse of the unfamiliar noise.

Something tall was hulking forward, making groggy moans as it took each step. It looked partially human, sluggishly walking on two feet and outstretching two arms at the boy's direction.

The prince's voice got caught in his thin throat, unable to scream for help. He just stood there paralyzed in his place. The unknown creature made another step towards the boy.

That was enough to snap him back to his senses. With a frightened squeak, Marcassin spun on his heel and sprinted away, down the hall where he came from. His thirst long forgotten under his fear, he dashed as fast as his short legs would carry him.

A hairy minute later he screeched to a halt in front of his bedroom door. Not bothering to look behind him, he burst into the room and slammed the door behind him, resting his back against the metal.

"Phew…" He sighed and slid to the ground. The prince licked his dry lips; all that running made him even thirstier, but he wasn't prepared to risk his life for a mere glass of water.

Just as he was getting to his feet, he heard another bizarre sound. Marcassin flinched, staring in front of him.

"Wait…this isn't my room…" He blinked. Through the haze of the dim light, he made out the features of the room; on one side was a tall bookcase stuffed with unfamiliar books. Right next to it was a large work desk holding a lamp and a few mechanical doo-dads.

A few yards away from the boy was a regal bed with a snoring mass of sheets sprawled out on top of it. Popping out from one end was the head of a brown haired teen lazily snoozing with his mouth open.

Marcassin gasped, realizing where he was and immediately recognizing the sleeping boy under the blankets. Wasting no time, he jogged to the bed and approached the sleeping figure.

"Gascon! Gascon, wake up!"

"Zzzz…go away…"

"Gascon, it's me, Marcassin! Wake up!" He lightly poked the older prince's shoulder.

"Zzzz…five more minutes, mom…"

"No! I said Marcassin, not Mother!" This time he shook the teen's body. "Wake up!"

"Zzzz-huhwut?" Gascon sluggishly opened his brown eyes. He slowly rose to a sitting position as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"_Yawn…_ What time is it?"

"I d-don't know, but-"

"Wait a minute-why are you up, anyway?"

"Um, well, I was thirsty, so I went for a glass of water, b-but I dropped the glass…so I tried to go to the kitchen for another one."

The older boy scratched his now messy hair. "Can't you just fix it with some spell?"

Marcassin swayed his head sadly. "I don't have my scepter. Father took it to make it stronger with his alchemy, remember?"

"Oh, right…" Gascon's eyes suddenly grew dark, remembering how their father had taken Marcassin's wand, boasting that the boy 'was ready for a more powerful wand, one fit for a growing wizard'.

…While not paying the other son any attention.

Marcassin, recognizing the look in his brother's eyes, went on to change the subject. "Uh-I didn't reach the kitchen. A-and-uh…"

However, before he could continue, his big brother suddenly swung his legs over the side of the bed and muttered, "Come on."

"H-huh?"

"I said come on. We don't have all night." He gestured with his right hand for Marcassin to come. The little boy slid off the bed and followed his brother into his private bathroom.

It was almost identical to Marcassin's bathroom, except there was no stool, as the teen was plenty tall enough to reach the counter. Gascon wrapped his fingers around a glass, turned the faucet with his other hand, and filled the cup with cool water. He rotated the handle, causing it to faintly squeak.

"Here," he handed the glass of water to the boy, who took it gratefully. Marcassin gulped down the cool liquid and sighed.

"Thank you, Gascon."

"Sure," He placed the empty glass back onto the sink. Letting lose a long yawn, he said, "Well, time to go back to bed…"

"Wait!" Marcassin gripped onto Gascon's red silk pajamas with a fearful look in his eyes. "I-I can't go back to my room alone!"

"Eh? Why not? You're eight years old, Marcassin, not a toddler!" The teen gently slapped the small hand away. "And you're room is right next to mine-"

"Th-there's something out there!"

"Huh?" Gascon raised an eyebrow at this statement. "What do you mean by 'something'?"

"I-I don't know, but it was big and scary!" He fiddled with his black hair. "That's why I didn't make it to the kitchen…I got scared and ran back here by mistake."

"Are you sure you weren't just imagining things?"

Marcassin nodded his head feverishly. "I know I saw something out there! L-like a monster or something!"

Gascon ruffled his hair in thought. He glanced at his younger brother's puppy dog eyes. At last he huffed a sigh.

"Do you want me to walk you back to your room?"

"…O-okay."

They exited the bathroom. The teen grabbed his slippers and put them onto his feet.

"Alright, let's go…" Gascon let out another long yawn. With sleepy eyes he twisted the doorknob of his door and walked through with Marcassin close behind him. The little boy followed the older prince, clinging tightly onto his red PJ top.

"Relax, Marcassin, it's not like we're strolling through The Tombstone Trial."

"I-I know, but…" He suddenly grew quiet.

"But what?"

After a brief moment of silence, Marcassin whispered, "I…I hear it again!"

"Hear what?"

"The monster!"

"What?"

Gascon suspiciously eyed the dark halls around them. He suddenly grew still as he saw an odd, eerie silhouette appear from a corner and disappeared slowly behind another while moaning between steps.

"Th-th-that was it! What is it, Gascon?"

The brunette simply stood in his place, shivering. "I-I…I don't know."

Marcassin huddled closer to his big brother. "G-Gascon…I'm scared…"

A hand rested reassuringly on the boy's head. "H-hey, it's going to be alright. Just stay close to me." Gascon stared into the little prince's eyes. Marcassin nodded and shuffled behind.

As quietly as they could, the duo roamed through the palace, searching for the mystery creature. They wandered through the maze of endless halls of shadowy lighting. Every time they reached a fork in the path, Gascon would check both ways warily before advancing in a direction, while Marcassin held tightly onto his sleeve.

"…Maybe we should head back to our rooms…" Marcassin whispered. "Where that thing can't get us…"

"No way! We can't just sit around while some creep wanders around our home! What if it comes into our bedrooms and-"

A loud, gurgling groan came from behind the princely duo. They froze as still as statues of ice, unable to even blink. Gulping, they slowly turned around.

Before them was a looming figure with a pair of fat hands out, seemingly ready to grab them. Gascon yelped as his little brother buried his face into his body, sending them falling onto the cold floor. They stared up at the eyeless beast, shivering and afraid while clinging onto each other.

"Gascon!"

"Marcassin!"

Slowly the monster began to take a step towards them.

_"Aaahhhh!_"

"WHAT IN THE BLAZES IS GOING ON HERE?!"

The lights suddenly flicked on, erasing the darkness and mystery of the halls. The two boys shut their eyes from the brightness and rapidly blinked, adjusting to the new light. Marcassin peered over the other prince's shoulder, catching sight of the owner of the booming voice.

"I swear, what is with this racket?" A tall, burly man stood in the middle of the hall, clad in finely made cobalt pajamas. He had long brown hair with an impressive mustache to match. His brown eyes had a striking resemblance to the older prince's eyes.

"F-Father!" Marcassin said as he and Gascon got back to their feet.

"What on earth are you two doing up at this hour?" The Emperor questioned, and then spared a glance behind them. "And who is your friend here?"

"Huh? F-friend?" Turning around, the princes saw the monster, but this time in the light. What had appeared to be a horrifying shadow of the night was now a Hamelin guard in bulky armor, snoring loudly.

"What the-_that's_ our monster?" Gascon pointed his finger at the sleepy man.

The guard snored loudly again, and began to walk forward again with his arms in front of him.

"He's…sleepwalking?"

"I'd say it's more like sleep-_patrolling_." The Emperor chuckled. "The man must have his route memorized if he can do it in his sleep!"

Marcassin gazed after the sleepwalking guard, worried. "Um…shouldn't we wake him up?"

"Ah, I suppose you're right, son." The man took a few steps to the guard and gave him a hard pat on the back.

"Wake up, lad!"

The guard immediately grew alert, stopping mid-snore. "Zzz-what? Huh? O-oh! Your Majesty! Sir!" He marched around and stood as straight as a rake with a salute.

"How's patrol, my friend? "

"Very good, Sir! I-wait...what?"

The Emperor let out a hearty laugh. "It would appear that you were patrolling in your sleep, and giving my sons a good scare while you were at it!"

"Wh-what? Oh my g…Prince Gascon! Prince Marcassin!" The embarrassed guard turned to the two princes. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to wake or scare you! I do apologize!"

"Hey! I wasn't scared!" Gascon snapped back. "I-I was just…Marcassin got scared and came to me, so I was trying to get him back to bed!"

"Oh, really, Gascon?" The father eyed his older son teasingly, who glared back.

"Of course I wasn't scared! I'm fifteen, and besides, I couldn't just stand around while some monster was-"

"So you thought it was a monster, hm?"

Gascon blushed angrily. "But…it…Well…"

He was cut off as his father yawned loudly. "Well, we can discuss this more in the morning. Right now it's late and we should go back to bed." The Emperor took Marcassin's small hand in his large one. "Come, Marcassin."

"O-okay, Father…" The boy turned to the brunette teen. "Good night, Gascon."

"Yeah…good night…"

* * *

Back in prince Marcassin's bedroom, the young boy was being tucked in by the tall emperor under thick indigo blankets. Peeking out by the prince's head was the top of a stuffed animal in the shape of a Toko.

"Comfortable, my son?" The emperor asked.

"Uh-huh…"

"Marvelous." He gave his son's hair an affectionate ruffle before standing up from the bed. "Good night, my prince."

"…Wait, Father!"

"Hm?" The sage stopped and turned. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just…" His fingers clutched onto the sheets. "…Please don't be so hard on Gascon, Father…It was my fault that I dropped the glass and went out for another…"

"Marcassin…" For a split second the man's eyes softened. "…It was an accident. You shouldn't dwell on the events that transpired tonight. We shall resolve everything in the morning. Right now you need your rest."

"Okay…"

He nodded and opened the door. "Sleep well, my son." With that last phrase in the air, the Emperor closed the bedroom door, leaving the boy alone.

Some unnamable emotion swirled within Marcassin's pupils. After hearing his father's footsteps fade away, he carefully leaped out of bed with his stuffed Toko. He slipped out the door, silently walked down the hall, and entered Gascon's bedroom.

The teen was under his bed sheets with his hands under his head as he stared at the ceiling. He didn't appear to notice his little brother's entrance. Marcassin shuffled to the bedside and timidly touched Gascon's shirt.

"Huh?!" The brunette barked, surprised.

The little boy backed his pale hand away before saying, "Um…Gascon…can I sleep with you tonight? Please?"

He blinked before mumbling, "Um, sure, I guess."

Gascon scooched over to make room on the bed. Marcassin crawled up and settled himself under the covers with his Toko close to his chest.

"Thank you, Gascon…for everything." He whispered as he huddled closer to his older brother.

"You're welcome, Marcassin…" The teen yawned. He drifted into sleep while his sibling did the same.

For a few minutes everything was quiet. Then the doorknob began to gently turn and the door cracked open. The Emperor's mustached face peeked out. His dark eyes fell onto the bed, where his sons were fast asleep. Marcassin cuddled up next to his brother with his stuffed animal while Gascon snored without a care in the world.

The man smiled as his eyes grew gentle. After staring at his children for a minute, he disappeared back behind the door, leaving the dimly lit room housing a pair of sleeping princes.


End file.
